New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
1854 - New Orleans

New Orleans, a city, port of entry, and seat of justice of Orleans parish, Louisiana, is situated on the left bank of the Mississippi river, about 100 miles from its mouth; 1603 miles S. W. from New York ; 1438 S. W. from Washington ; 879 S. W. by W. from Charleston ; 2025 S. S. W. from Pittsburg; 1628 S. by W. from Chicago ; 1200 S. from St. Louis ; and about 2000 S. by E. from the Falls of St. Anthony. New Orleans is built around a bend in the river, from which circumstance it has been denominated the "Crescent City." The site inclines gently from the margin of the Mississippi to wards the marshy ground in the rear, and is from 2 to 5 feet below the level of the river at the usual spring freshets. To prevent inundations, an embankment or levee, about 15 feet wide and 6 feet high, has been raised, extending 120 miles above the city, and to Port Plaquemine, 43 miles below it. This forms a delightful promenade. In consequence of the change in the course of the river opposite New Orleans, large quantities of alluvion, swept from the north and held in suspension by the current, are here deposited. New formations from this cause in front of that portion of the quay most used for the purposes of commerce have been so rapid that it has been necessary within a few years to build piled wharves jutting out from 50 to 100 feet into the Mississippi. The levee here has also been gradually widened, so that an additional block of warehouses has been erected between the city and the river during the past year. The old city proper, originally laid out by the French, is in the form of a parallelogram, 1320 yards long and 700 yards wide. Above this are what were formerly the faubourgs of St. Mary, Anunciation, and La Course ; below, Marigny, Dounois, and Declouet : and in the rear, Treme and St. John's. Lafayette, till recently under a separate go vernment, is immediately above the city. In 1836, New Orleans was divided into three municipalities by act of the assembly, each with distinct municipal powers. Again in April, 1852, these and Lafayette, with the faubourgs and other dependencies, extending from 6 to 7 miles along the river, and about 6 miles back to Lake Pontchartrain, were consolidated under one charter, the city assuming the debts. The streets of New Orleans are of convenient breadth, well paved, and usually intersect each other at right angles. Canal street is the broadest, being over 100 feet in width, with a grassplot in the centre about 25 feet wide, extending throughout its entire length. Most of the buildings are constructed of brick, and are generally low, except in the business portion, where they are usually 5 or 6 stories high. The dwellings in the suburbs, many of them, particularly in Lafayette, are surrounded with spacious yards, beautifully decorated with the orange, lemon, magnolia, and other ornamental trees. A basement about 6 feet high constitutes the only cellar, as none are sunk below the surface on account of the marshy character of the ground. In different sections of the city are several public squares, among which may be mentioned Jackson Square, formerly Place d'Armes, occupying the centre of the river front of the old town plot, now the First District. It is ornamented with shell walks, shrubbery, statuettes, &o. and is much frequented for recreation. Lafayette Square, in the Second District, is finely laid out, and adorned with a profusion of shade-trees. Congo Square, in the rear of the city, is also a handsome enclosure...

Gas was first employed to light the city in 1834; and during the same year water was introduced from the Mississippi. It is raised from the river by steam to an elevated reservoir, whence 5 or 6 millions of gallons are daily distributed to various parts of the city...

New Orleans was settled by the French in 1717. In 1723 it contained about 100 cabins, and a population not exceeding 200 souls. In 1727, the Jesuits and Ursuline nuns arrived ; the former remained until the expulsion of their order from France, Spain, and Naples, in 1703, compelled them to leave Louisiana: their entire property was confiscated : their lands, which were then sold by the court for about $180,000, are now probably worth not less than $20,000,000. In 1709 occurred the first visitation of the yellow fever, which was introduced, it is said, by an English vessel with a cargo of slaves from Africa. The first regular commercial intercourse be tween New Orleans and the ports of the United States was commenced in 1777, by Oliver Pollock, a citizen of Baltimore. March 21, 1778, the city was visited by a fierce conflagration, which destroyed 900 houses and a vast amount of other property. In 1785, New Orleans had a population of 4700. The city militia, to the number of 700, were organized for drill in 1792. In 1794, the first newspaper, called "La Moniteur," was published. In 1702, New Orleans was conveyed to the Spanish, reconveyed to the French in 1800, and included in the purchase of Louisiana by the United States in 1803. At this time it contained a population of 8000. Its commerce extended to all the West, to the Eastern States, and to Europe. The exports of 1802 were 60.000 barrels of flour ; 3000 barrels of beef and pork ; 2000 hogsheads of tobacco ; 34,000 bales of cotton ; 4000 hogsheads of sugar, and 800 casks of molasses. New Orleans is famous in history as the place designated to become the seat of the monarchy intended to have been established by the treason of Aaron Burr. During the month of January, 1804, the citizens were in a state of continual alarm : volunteer companies and other troops constantly patrolled the streets, ready to sup press the first attempt at insurrection. This year it was made a port of entry, and the next, (1805.) New Orleans was incorporated as a city. In 1810, seven years after it was received into the United States, its population had increased to 17,242. January 8, 1815, General Pakenham, commanding the English forces, made an attack on the city, approaching it through Lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain, and was signally defeated by the Americans under General Jackson. The loss of the English in killed and wounded was nearly 3000 : the American loss was only 7 men killed and 6 wounded. It was not till after peace was established by the Treaty of Ghent, that New Orleans began to reap the full advantages of steam navigation on the Mississippi, and to hold that proud pre-eminence she now enjoys in wealth, commerce, and population. Named in honor of the Duke of Orleans, regent of France during the minority of Louis XV. Population in 1820, 27,176; 1830, 46,310; 1840, 102,193; 1850, 126,376 ; and by a local census in 1853, 145,449, of which 29,174 were slaves and free colored. During the business season the population is estimated at 175,000.


A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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